Excellent post. I’ll add that Ohm makes a good basic tobacco (menthol is great for menthol smokers). Although it hasn’t been reviewed above, it’s well known and widely available.
For those in the US (I guess depending on the state) I’d suggest first hitting up a local smoke shop. I’ve read some shops have ridiculous pricing, so you may be better off online (I included reasonable prices). As mentioned above, you’ll want:
A box of tubes. Should be no more than $5, if not, just order from Amazon or eBay (4Aces come with $1.99 stamped on the box, so the store usually can’t boost the price).
1-2 bags of tobacco. 6oz should be under $10 and 16oz should be under $20. (My shops sell 6oz for $7 and 16oz for $14-$16). 6oz should net almost a carton at 1gram per smoke. 16oz over 2 cartons.
Rolling machine. It’ll probably be Top or Gambler, which are both fine. $10 max or just order from Amazon or eBay.